1. Technical Field
The disclosure generally relates to light emitting diodes (LEDs), and particularly to an LED which has high heat dissipation efficiency. The disclosure also relates to a light source module incorporating such LED.
2. Description of Related Art
It is well known that LEDs have been widely used in illumination devices to substitute for conventional cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs), incandescent bulbs, compact bulbs or fluorescent tubes, due to high brightness, long lifespan, and wide color range of the LEDs. However, during operation of the LEDs, a large of heat is generated. If the heat is not efficiently removed, the LEDs may suffer damage.
A typical LED has a pair of metallic electrodes extending perpendicularly down therefrom. The electrodes are inserted into a pair of slots of a circuit board, respectively, for thermally and electrically connecting the LED with the circuit board. The electrodes play double roles, i.e., heat transfer and electrical conduction. The electric current supplied to the LED via the electrodes affect the heat dissipation capability of the electrodes. Thus, a heat resistance of the LED is increased, which affects a heat dissipation efficiency of the LED.
What is needed, therefore, is an LED and a light source module incorporating the LED which can overcome the described limitations.